A lot of the work we do at the Salt Lake Home Builders Association never makes headlines, but it has a direct impact on what it costs to build—and ultimately buy—a home.

Right now, our Government Affairs team is engaged on a number of issues across Salt Lake County. A few that are front and center:

West Jordan Impact Fees
We are actively working with West Jordan as they move forward with increases to impact fees. As you know, these fees don’t just affect builders—they flow straight through to the price of a home.

When fees go up significantly, it becomes harder to make projects pencil, especially at the entry-level price point. That means fewer attainable homes and higher costs for buyers. Our focus is making sure any fees are justified, transparent, and not unnecessarily pushing housing further out of reach.

South Salt Lake Utility Fee
We’ve also been heavily involved in South Salt Lake on their Transportation Utility Fee. The city originally adopted a much larger funding structure, but after feedback from the community—including many of you—they scaled it back.

That’s a good step in the right direction, but we’re still working with the city to make sure the final structure is fair, predictable, and doesn’t place an outsized burden on housing or small businesses.

Subdivision Recording Limits
We are also hearing from members about cities placing limits on how many lots can be recorded at a time, sometimes tying future phases to how quickly the first phase sells.

While every city approaches this differently, the impact is the same—projects get slowed down, carrying costs increase, and that cost ultimately shows up in the price of the home. We are actively looking at ways to address this before it becomes a bigger issue across more communities.

These are just a few examples. The reality is, there are a myriad of issues we are working on at any given time—fees, zoning, permitting, timelines—you name it.

This is where we need your help

If you are running into issues with a city—whether it’s a fee that doesn’t make sense, a delay, or a policy that is creating problems—please reach out.

Don’t assume it’s just your project. Chances are, others are dealing with the same thing, and that’s exactly where we can step in and help.

Reach out to me directly, and our Government Affairs team will get involved.

Your membership gives you a voice at the table—let’s use it.Marcus Jessop
[email protected]